How to Read These Posts

These posts are posted by a perl script I wrote to parse the output of a text file created by a slightly modified version of quicklogger. Posts on Tuesday through Saturday cover one work day; posts on Monday summarize the previous work week.

The parser relies heavily on two-letter codes, visible in the raw data. These codes went into effect July 1, 2016:

ar = arrive (as in, "this is when I arrived at work")

bk/ps = break (unpaid) or personal stuff

mt = meeting

mr = meeting-related (preparation/followup)

bm = budget management (shame on you)

re = reading/research

or = ordering

tr = training (includes telling someone how to do something, not just student supervision)

su = supervision

pr = project (just a task, but longer -- I know them when I see them)

av = specific AV-related task or project

hr/tk = short task/project done immediately (hr = something someone asked me to do; tk = something I decided to do just right then without planning for it)

These tasks often flow into one another, so a spontaneous task (tk) includes not only the work I'm doing, but also the three interruptions in the hallway (that would normally be categorized as hr or co) that I dealt with while completing it.

Additionally, the categories are not strict. Tasks (tk or tm or to) have a tendency to become projects (pr), sometimes depending on nothing more than how I feel about them.

And, lest you think I spend all my time at work logging what I do at work instead of actually working, I'll break it down for you: if I average 50 log entries per day, and if each entry takes five seconds, that's six minutes and 10 seconds of each day committed to logging. Not nothing, but also not massive. And each entry probably takes less time than that -- I'm a touch typist, so most of the time entering in the log is related to waiting on the quicklogger to wake up when I press Ctrl-Alt-L. And even then I'm not sure more than five seconds pass.

Now the time coding and re-coding and remembering to use my new codes ... well, that's different. Let's call it nw.

So why the change? The new codes fit more neatly into categories in my job description so that when annual reporting and job description review comes up I can be a bit less impressionistic.

*** Older codes follow ***

These codes went into effect January 2, 2008, and are now obsolete:

ar = arrive (as in, "this is when I arrived at work")

bk/ps = break (unpaid) or personal stuff

di = distraction (self-imposed interruption)

ic = interruption by instant messenger (chat)

ip = interruption by phone

iv = interruption by visit

hr/up = help request or unplanned task (something that comes up as a result of checking my e-mail or phone messages -- usually not the result of an interruption)

mt = meeting

ch = chat initiated by me (should be rare)

em = e-mail checking/corresponding

ph = phone (calling, checking messages)

vi = visit (initiated by me)

hc = housecleaning (office)

tk = planned task or project

re = reading and research

cl = community life (this includes various all campus events, special and regular breaks, forum, chapel, etc.)

nw = work-related non-work things (for those things that aren't exactly community life, but are also not exactly work -- conference registration comes to mind)

*** Original Codes Follow ***

Original code set (2007) - now obsolete:

ar = arrive (as in, "this is when I arrived at work")

bk = break

mt = meeting

ic = interruption by instant messenger (chat)

ie = interruption by e-mail (as in, "I was doing something else and an e-mail popped up on my screen because that's my preferred method of receiving help requests")

ip = interruption by phone

iv = interruption by visit

ch = chat initiated by me

em = e-mail correspondence initiated by me

ph = phone correspondence initiated by me

vi = visit initiated by me (presumably, if others were logging these last three things, there would be a corresponding "iv," "ip," or "ie")

ps = some personal task (as in, "Oooo ... I forgot to check the bank balance, maybe I should do that before I forget")